While everyone was leaving, Cantarella kept rambling on about how thankful she was to Caster, since he had earned them some time off.
"I actually wanted to go next," Shade argued.
"No one asked you!" Panther retorted.
Fenix and Aura snuck away from the group quietly, and Veil helped Mirror by throwing Caster over his shoulder and lugging him to his room.
"Thank you so much for the help," she said, watching as he dumped her boyfriend on the mattress like a sack of potatoes.
"Yep," Veil replied, not even glancing at her again before leaving.
Mirror sat at Caster's bedside and brushed his cheeks.
"Silly... you pushed yourself so hard. We're on a break, and I can't even hang out with you."
Caster caught her wrist, startling her. His eyes cracked open, and he glared up at the ceiling.
"Who are you?" he muttered.
His question hurt her initially, but Mirror assured herself that he was just delirious from fatigue.
"I'm your girlfriend," she answered. He stared at her quietly for a moment, and his grip loosened.
"Oh, really? Lucky me... you're just my type."
Mirror's heart fluttered as she tried to figure out if he was flirting or still half asleep. She swallowed hard and pulled from his grasp.
"I appreciate the compliment."
After the initial shock had settled, Mirror began thinking. If he was truly half-asleep, maybe this was her chance to get some straightforward answers from him.
"What exactly is your type?" she interrogated. Caster shifted slightly and smirked up at her.
"Someone with boobs like yours."
His declaration hit her hard again. The Caster she knew would never say something like that!
... but on the bright side, huge breasts were one thing that Aura could never challenge her in. So his comment was mildly reassuring. It was always befuddling that, unlike most others, Caster never showed interest in Aura, but now it made perfect sense.
"... Alright, I suppose that's nice to know," she replied, and he chuckled lightly.
She was debating what to ask next when she noticed Caster watching her from the corner of his eye. Then he said,
"I feel like crap, and I can't get up... but I want you, and I have enough energy to eat you out..." he bit his lip and added, "if you're interested."
Mirror's flustered levels reached their maximum, so she got up and tucked him into bed tightly.
"On that note, you should go back to sleep," she muttered.
He groaned defiantly, but after mere seconds of resistance, he drifted off again.
Mirror fanned herself on the way back to her room... once she was safely inside, she mumbled,
"The unfiltered Caster is kinda hot."
Flow was waiting for Veil when he returned to his room.
"I thought you were shy about being caught," Veil teased, with a smirk, as he stepped in and stood mere inches away from her.
She turned away and replied,
"It's not curfew time yet... and I wanted to spend some time with you."
His smile grew, and he leaned in. Flow tensed, as she felt his breath on her neck, then he whispered,
"I'm tired. I'll see you in the morning."
Then he walked around her and entered his room alone.
Flow was momentarily stunned, then she felt discarded and huffed, raising her fist to pound on his door. She stood like that for several seconds before lowering her hand and stomping away.
Veil is usually an insatiable force... yet now he rejects her so casually. She couldn't help feeling a bit let down.
The place Fenix and Aura had escaped to was the rec-room.
"Why did you want to come here?" Aura asked while sitting next to him, on the Arcade game stools.
"... It'll be easier to control myself here... and you said no kissing," he answered in a low voice.
Aura straightened her posture, trying to keep herself composed.
"...It's not forever... I'm just processing a lot right now," she explained.
Fenix smiled sadly at her response.
"Yeah... I wasn't confused about that. I'm just... not a patient person. I'm impulsive... especially when it comes to you."
Aura nodded as if she understood, then she jolted when he reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Until you're ready..." he began again, "we won't meet up in our rooms."
Her heart twinged; she knew why he was saying this, but the thought of going to bed without him at her side still weighed on her.
"I'll... expedite my processing speed post haste!" she declared. Her statement tore through the tension, and Fenix chuckled. He then lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to her palm briefly before amorously replying,
"I'm looking forward to it."
When Caster woke up the next morning, he only vaguely recalled some of the things he'd said, but even so, the embarrassment hit him hard. Unsure of how he would be able to face Mirror later, he buried his face in his hands. His eyes were wide, and he screamed internally.
The rest of the group met up for breakfast, but Caster wasn't there. So, Mirror decided to finish her meal quickly and check up on him.
Flow was picking at her food with a grumpy scowl. Veil noticed but ate quietly without pointing it out.
Deciding he somehow hadn't noticed her mood, Flow mumbled,
"I'm upset."
Veil replied,
"Oh," and continued his meal.
She shoved her plate away and stormed from the room. It caught the attention of several people in the room, but upon noticing Veil's irritation, they kept their comments to themselves.
"I'm going to go... but good luck with that," Vision muttered to his brother, while taking both his and Flow's plates to the cleaning area. Veil sighed, then he stood up. The sudden movement startled the others at the table, who had quieted to watch the show he and Flow were putting on.
He cleared his spot and then stomped out of the cafeteria.
"... Do you think they had a fight or something?" Shade noted, leaning back in his chair.
"I don't know, and I don't care," Panther replied. She then went back to eating her cereal.
"There's definitely some tension," Cantarella commented. She sounded amused.
Flow was in her room, sulking on her bed, and hugging her knees when there was a knock on her door.
She didn't acknowledge it, but the person walked in anyway. It was Veil.
The first thing he said was,
"What exactly is your problem?"
She recoiled from his tone, but steeled her resolve and said,
"Oh, so you suddenly care."
Veil's expression darkened, and he stepped closer, saying,
"Of course I care." His words were sweet, but his tone was chilling.
Flow swallowed hard before saying,
"I just... need you to be honest... are you bored with me or something?"
As her question hit, he squinted and furrowed his brow.
"Are you pouting because I turned you away yesterday?..."
Flow pressed her lips together into a hard line, too self-conscious to respond.
"So... we have sex multiple times, then I run thirty miles, and after that we have more sex. Then I have to use my powers repeatedly in a stupid training simulation, and it's somehow unthinkable to you that I might actually be tired?"
Flow hugged her knees tighter. With his explanation, her indignation did seem silly.
"... I wasn't thinking. You've never turned me down before, and you didn't look like you were tired at all," she muttered.
Veil scoffed and said,
"Why would I?" Flow met his eyes as he continued, "What good would it do to act weak and pathetic in front of everyone?"
Her frown deepened, and his words stung. Yet Flow struggled to keep her composure, replying,
"I would at least be aware that you're really exhausted. At least then I'd know you weren't just brushing me off like I'm some kind of joke!"
Veil stood silently for a moment, then he sat on the bed beside her.
"If I say I'm tired. I am. You are not in a position to question me," he muttered coldly.
Her eyes moistened.
"I'm sorry, I-" she began, but Veil interrupted her.
"Plus... since when did you get to dictate if I want you. I'm not some machine that will be in the mood at your beck and call," he snapped.
Flow stared at him in shock. Her lips quivered while she struggled to keep it together, but it was no use; she started crying...
A moment later, his expression started to soften.
"I was wrong... I just... I always desire you, so I thought you felt the same way," Flow confessed while wiping her eyes. Veil's lips parted, and his breathing hitched...
For a while, he watched her hectically sniffling and wiping away tears. Then he reached out and brushed one away with his thumb.
She met his eyes, and he looked away, his face slightly red.
"... No, I'm sorry..."
She was pinned in place by his words. He sounded completely sincere, which was overwhelming.
"I wasn't lying about being tired... but when I saw you waiting for me, I could sense it. I saw the excitement in your eyes, and I... couldn't resist teasing you... I really shouldn't have done that," he mumbled while hanging his head.
She was struggling to process what was occurring, but when he met her eyes again, her chest swelled, and she muttered,
"... It's alright."
Veil frowned, saying,
"And I shouldn't have snapped at you..."
Flow was still sniffling. Veil cupped her face, kissed both her cheeks, and then her forehead.
"It's not alright..." he mumbled. She pressed her lips together, struggling not to start weeping all over again.
Veil then kissed her lips... Her body slowly relaxed as she leaned into the kiss and gripped his shirt.
"... I'll try to be more delicate when dealing with you... and Flow," Veil began.
She looked up at him expectantly,
"Yes?" she asked softly.
"... I feel the same way... I always desire you, too."
Flow's face heated up, and she instantly regretted her earlier admission. Veil didn't give her much time to fret over it before kissing her again.
Mirror found Caster slumped over in the corner of his room. When he saw her, he instantly went beet red and grumbled,
"Leave, I don't want you to see me like this."
Mirror ignored his request and sat on the floor beside him.
"No. Now tell me what's wrong?"
He hesitated, then a wave of embarrassment hit him again, and he turned away.
"... I ... said some pretty unforgivable things last night... I'm sorry."
She laughed off his apology dismissively and replied,
"Oh, that? That was completely fine."
Caster was too shocked to utter an immediate reply, so Mirror continued with,
"In fact, I wouldn't care if you spoke your mind more often."
His pulse raced, and he lowered his head, saying,
"I can't do that."
Mirror pouted.
"Why not?" she demanded insistently. Caster sighed, then he faced her slowly and patted her head.
"Because... I have this pesky thing called shame," he answered coolly. Mirror rolled her eyes, nudging his shoulder.
He lifted his hand and traced his fingers along her jawline.
"...You're really not upset with me?" Caster asked, still cautious. Mirror leaned in and met his lips,
"I already said I'm not," she huffed, slightly annoyed. He laughed, the tension finally leaving his shoulders as he cupped her cheek and moved in for a much more intimate kiss.
Mirror closed her eyes and laid her hand on top of his.